Leading German Sire Monsun Dies

Sired top North American winners Shirocco and Stacelita.

Monsun, whose 108 stakes winners includes champion and John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner Shirocco and 2011 Eclipse Award winner Stacelita, has been euthanized after suffering from an acute neurological disease. The German-bred stallion was 22 and last stood at Gestut Schlenderhan in Germany.

Bred by Gestut Isarland and campaigned by Baron Georg von Ullmann, Monsun (Konigsstuhl—Mosella, by Surumu) proved a long distance specialist under the care of trainer Heinz Jentzsch. He won the 1993 EMS Kureirpost Europa Preis (Ger-I) at 1 1/2 miles and again the following year. His other major efforts at that distance included a runner-up effort in the BMW Deutsches Derby (Ger-I).

During his career, Monsun captured eight stakes, all group events in Germany, including three group I stakes, and was retired a millionaire.

Shirocco and Stacelita not only excelled in North America but also in Europe. A homebred for von Ullmann, Shirocco was a champion in Germany and Italy and a group I winner in both of those countries and in England. He was the second of three German Derby winners sired by Monsun, the others being Samum and Schiaparelli. Samum sired 2008 winner Kamsin.

Shirocco's Breeders' Cup win was the first for a German-bred. Shirocco topped a European contingent that ran first through fourth. The beaten North American stars included English Channel, Better Talk Now, and Shakespeare.

Stacelita was a 2009 French champion. Her three group I wins that year included a score in the classic Prix de Diane (the French Oaks).

Stacelita won the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) and the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) and ran third in the United Nations Stakes (gr. IT) the year of her Eclipse Award. She was named champion grass female.

Monsun has sired 14 stakes winners this year including Royal Ascot winners Estimate and Energizer. Estimate won the Queen's Vase (Eng-III), and Energizer captured the Tercentenary Stakes (Eng-III).

As a maternal grandsire, Monsun was represented at the royal meeting by Colour Vision, winner of the Gold Cup (Eng-I).